In a move that could significantly impact the path blue-chip prospects take to the professional level, the NBA's G League will launch a new venture in 2019 that will serve as an alternative to college basketball, the league announced Thursday.

As part of a "professional path" system, the G League will offer "Select Contracts" worth $125,000 to elite players who are at least 18 years old but not eligible for the NBA draft.

High school players can go directly to the G League now if they choose, although there's a maximum annual salary of $35,000.

In April, a commission chaired by former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice recommended that the NBA drop the one-and-done rule, which stipulates that a player must be 19 years old or one year removed from his high school graduation to be drafted. That rule was implemented by the NBA in 2006, bringing an end to the prep-to-pro era that saw players like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant skip college entirely.